2023 -- H 5414
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LC000990
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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A N A C T
RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- ELECTRICIANS
Introduced By: Representatives Fellela, Messier, Casey, Potter, and Edwards
Date Introduced: February 08, 2023
Referred To: House Corporations
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Sections 5-6-2 and 5-6-8 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-6 entitled 1
"Electricians" are hereby amended to read as follows: 2
5-6-2. Work for which license required. 3
(a)(1) No person, firm, or corporation shall enter into, engage in, solicit, advertise, bid for, 4
or work at the business of installing, maintaining, servicing, and testing wires, conduits, apparatus, 5
which includes support systems specifically for electrical equipment and devices, fixtures, 6
electrical signs, lightning-protection equipment as defined in § 5-6-1, lighting, control of electrical 7
devices, handling and removal for installation or re-installation of all electrical equipment, devices, 8
apparatus, and similar items provided in this subsection within the confines of the jobsite, and other 9
appliances for carrying or using or generating electricity for light, heat, fire alarms, as defined in 10
chapter 28.25 of title 23, entitled “Fire Alarm Systems,” or power purposes, exclusive of low-11
voltage wiring for heating/refrigeration equipment, or work at the business of removing and 12
reattaching existing electrical meters, unless that person, firm, or corporation shall have received a 13
license and a certificate for the business, issued by the state board of examiners of electricians of 14
the division of professional regulation of the department of labor and training in accordance with 15
the provisions set forth in this chapter. 16
(2) That person shall carry this license on his or her person at all times while so engaged, 17
and shall affix his or her contractor’s license number to any advertisement and/or contract he or she 18
executes and/or to any bid he or she files with any consumer for his or her professional services 19
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and to any applicable permit required for the performance of those services. 1
(b) Any person, firm, or corporation that is required to apply for a permit from a local 2
building official for any work required to be performed by a person licensed under the provisions 3
of this chapter shall cause the work to be performed by a person licensed under the provisions of 4
this chapter; provided, that the provisions of this section, except the provision regarding removing 5
and reattaching existing electrical meters, shall not apply to owner-occupied, single-family homes. 6
5-6-8. Contractor’s certificates/licenses. 7
(a) Electrical contractor’s license. A Certificate A shall be issued to any person, firm, or 8
corporation, qualified under this chapter, engaging in, or about to engage in, the business of 9
installing, maintaining, servicing, and testing electrical wires, conduits, apparatus, which includes 10
support systems specifically for electrical equipment and devices, fixtures, fire alarm and safety 11
communication systems, and other electrical appliances, lighting, control of electrical devices, 12
handling and removal for installation or re-installation of all electrical equipment, devices, 13
apparatus, and similar items provided in this subsection within the confines of the jobsite, excluding 14
low-voltage wiring for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment. The certificate shall 15
specify the name of the person, firm, or corporation applying for it and the name of the person, who 16
in the case of a firm is one of its members, and in the case of a corporation, is one of its officers, 17
passing the examination by which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon, or engage in, business 18
as prescribed in the certificate. The holding of a Certificate A does not entitle the holder 19
individually to engage in or perform the actual work of installing, maintaining, servicing, and 20
testing electric wires, conduits, or appliances as previously described in this chapter, but entitles 21
him or her to conduct business as an electrical contractor. 22
(b) Burner contractor’s license. A Certificate E shall be issued to any person, firm, or 23
corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in, or about to engage in, the business of a 24
burner contractor as defined in § 5-6-1. The certificate shall specify the name of the person, firm, 25
or corporation applying for it and the name of the person who, in the case of a firm is one of its 26
members, and in the case of a corporation is one of its officers, passing the examination, by which 27
he or she or it is authorized to enter upon, or engage in, business as prescribed in the certificate. 28
The holding of a Certificate E does not entitle the holder individually to engage in or perform any 29
work on, or in connection with, electric wires, conduits, and appliances as previously described in 30
this chapter, but entitles the holder to contract to do that work, to the extent permitted in this chapter, 31
through the employment of burnerpersons holding a Certificate F. A burner contractor who is the 32
holder of a Certificate A is not required to obtain a Certificate E. 33
(c) Fire alarm contractor’s license. A Certificate AF shall be issued to any person, firm, or 34
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corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in, or about to engage in, the business of a 1
fire alarm contractor as defined in § 5-6-1. The certificate shall specify the name of the person, 2
firm, or corporation applying for it and the person who, in the case of a firm is one of its members, 3
and in the case of a corporation is one of its officers, passing the examination by which he or she 4
or it is authorized to enter upon, or engage in, business as prescribed in the certificate. The holding 5
of a Certificate AF does not entitle the holder individually to engage in, or perform and work on, 6
or in connection with, electric wires, fire alarm wires, conduits, and appliances as previously 7
described in this chapter, but entitles the holder to contract to do that work to the extent permitted 8
in this chapter through the employment of fire alarm installers holding a Certificate BF. A 9
contractor who is the holder of a Certificate A is not required to obtain a Certificate BF. 10
(d) Electrical sign contractor’s license. A Certificate SCF shall be issued to any person, 11
firm, or corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in or about to engage in the business 12
of electrical sign installations, as defined in § 5-6-1. 13
(e) Lightning-protection contractor. A Certificate LPC shall be issued to any person, firm, 14
or corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in, or about to engage in, the business of 15
lightning-protection contractor as defined in § 5-6-1. The Certificate LPC shall specify the name 16
of the person, firm, or corporation applying for it and the person, who in the case of a firm, is one 17
of its members, and in the case of a corporation, is one of its officers, passing the examination by 18
which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon or engage in business as prescribed in the certificate. 19
The holding of a Certificate LPC does not entitle the holder individually to engage in, or perform 20
and work on, or in connection with, the installation of lightning-protection equipment as defined in 21
§ 5-6-1, unless that individual also holds a Certificate LPI, but entitles the holder to contract to do 22
that work to the extent permitted in this chapter through the employment of lightning-protection 23
installers holding a Certificate LPI. 24
(f) Sign renovation electrical license. A certificate SRL shall be issued to any person, firm, 25
or corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in, or about to engage in, the business of 26
sign renovation or installation of signs when such renovation or installation requires the removal 27
or installation of no more than three (3) wires. 28
(g) Renewable energy professional. A Certificate REP shall be issued to any person, firm, 29
or corporation, qualified under this chapter, engaged in or about to engage in the business of 30
installing eligible renewable energy technologies as defined in § 39-26-5. All renewable energy 31
electrical work, including installing, connecting, maintaining, servicing, and testing all electrical 32
wires, conduits, and apparatus; mounting the modules to the mounting racks; mounting the 33
inverters; and tying the inverters into the main electrical panels, shall be done by a licensed 34
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electrician. Ancillary non-electrical, renewable energy work, such as advertising services; 1
distribution of palletized materials to final location area of installation including photovoltaic 2
modules to the mounting racks; and installing the ground and rooftop support brackets and ballast 3
for rack systems, may be done by any person, firm, or corporation holding a Certificate REP. The 4
Certificate REP shall specify the name of the person, firm, or corporation applying for it and the 5
name of the person, who in the case of a firm is one of its members, and in the case of a corporation, 6
is one of its officers, meeting the requisite education and experience as established in § 5-6-11, by 7
which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon, or engage in, business as prescribed in the 8
certificate. The holding of a Certificate REP entitles the holder to contract to do that work to the 9
extent permitted in this chapter. 10
The installation, mechanical fastening, and conjoining of listed solar sheathing systems 11
that are ten kilowatts (10 kw) or less on residential structures as defined by the Rhode Island one- 12
and two-family dwelling code may be performed by a registered contractor who or that has been 13
issued a renewable energy professional certificate (Certificate REP) as defined in § 5-6-11(e) and 14
above referenced. However, said residential solar sheathing system shall be connected to the 15
electrical system from the roof edge and energized by a Rhode Island licensed electrician working 16
in compliance with this chapter. Additionally, the residential solar sheathing systems noted must 17
be listed and labeled by UL or other recognized electrical device certification organization, 18
identified and acceptable by the authority having jurisdiction. 19
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 20
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- ELECTRICIANS
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This act would include, under the types of electrical work required to be performed by 1
persons or firms that have an electrical contractor's license, the installation, maintenance, securing 2
and testing of wires, conduits and apparatus, which includes support systems specifically for 3
electrical equipment and devices and for lighting, control of electrical devices, and the handling 4
and removal for installation or re-installation of all electrical equipment, devices and apparatus. 5
This act would take effect upon passage. 6
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